Rural-route mail box and collector.



A. V. GARLSON.

RURAL ROUTE MAIL BOX AND COLLECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

(17. Z ZarZsvia.

COLUMBIA PMNOBRAPH 50-.WASHINGTON. D. c-.

A. v. GARLSON. v RURAL ROUTE MAIL BOX AND COLLECTOR.

APPLICATION TILED OCT. 2, 1913.

1,083,241 Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ARTHUR V. CARLSON, OF PEGATONICA, ILLINOIS.

RURAL-ROUTE MAIL BOX AND COLLECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 2, 1913. Serial No. 792,944.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR V. CARLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pecatonica, in the county of l/Vinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rural-Route Mail Boxes and Collectors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in deposit and collection receptacles, and has for its object to provide a device of this character, which is especially designed for use as a rural route mail box, and which embodies novel features of construction whereby the mail can be collected from the box into a moving vehicle without the necessity of stopping the vehicle and dismountin therefrom.

A further ob ect of the invention is to provide a rural route mail box of this character which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, which is positive and reliable in its operation, and which is rain and weather proof.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following des'cription and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a rural route mail box constructed in accordance with the invention, the swinging doors being shown in a closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the swinging doors in an open position, the end of the casing being broken away to bring out the interior construction more clearly. Fig. 3is a front elevation of the mail box. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the door operating slide and lever. Fig. 5 is a front view of a wagon provided upon each side thereof with a mail collecting chute constructed for cooperation with the mail boxes, a mail box being shown upon each side of the vehicle, one of the collecting chutes being adjusted for cooperation with the mail box while the other collecting chute is in an inoperating position. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the mail collecting chutes, the cover thereof being set in operative position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the casing of the mail box, the said casing being provided at the top thereof with a rack 2 for parcel post packages and the like, and being subdivided by a horizontal partition 3 into an upper compartment A and a lower compartment B. The front of the upper compartment A is normally closed by a swinging door 4, while the front of the lower compartment B is normally closed by a swinging door 5. The door 4 is provided at opposite ends thereof and at an intermediate point between the top and bottom thereof with a pair of inwardly projecting ears 6 which are pivoted at 7 upon corresponding sides of the casing. The door 6 is thus mounted to swing about a horizontal pivot and can either be moved.

into a closed position as indicated by Fig. 1 or swung into an open position as indicated by Fig. 2. Ina somewhat similar manner the door 5 to the lower compartment B is provided at opposite ends thereof with the inwardly projecting ears 8 which are pivoted at 9 upon corresponding sides of the casing, the bottom of the door swinging outwardly and the said door being adapted either to be moved into a closed position as indicated by Fig. 1 or to be swung into an open position as indicated by Fig. 2.

A vertically reciprocating door controlling slide 10 is provided at one end of the mail box and mounted within the interior of the main casing 1. The slide 10 is formed with a longitudinal slot 11 which receives a guide pin or lug 12, the lower end of the slide being connected to one end of a spring strip 13 which extends transversely across the bottom of the mail box, the opposite end of the spring strip being rigidly connected to the mail box at 14. The resiliency of this spring strip 13 normally holds the slide Patented Dec. 36, 1913.

in a lowered position, although for the purpose of operating the doors, as will be hereinafter described, the slide 10 is adapted to be moved upwardly. A strip is secured to the spring bar 13, the said strip being suitably bent to provide the oppositely inclined surfaces 15 which are adapted to be engaged by a projecting member upon a moving vehicle to bend the spring bar 13 and move the door operating slide 10 upwardly.

The bottom of the lower compartment 13 of the mail box is provided with a tray 16- and 19, the lower arm 18 being curved down wardly and provided with a correspondingly curved slot 20, while the upper arm 19 is curved upwardly and provided with a correspondingly curved slot 21. A pin 22 which projects from one end of the letter tray or tilting bottom 16 is loosely received within the curved slot 20 of the arm 18, while a similar pin 23 at the bottom of the upper door 4 is loosely received within the slot 21 of the upper arm 19. With this construction it will be obvious that when the door operating slide 10 is moved upwardly the pin 22 will cooperate with the slotted arm 18 to tilt the bottom 16, while the pin 23 will coiiperate with the slot arm 19 to swing the door 1 of the upper compartment A into an open position, as indicated by Fig.

A door operating lever 21 is pivotally mounted at an intermediate point in its length upon the before mentioned pin 12, the said lever extending transversely across the end of the box and one end of the lever being provided with a longitudinal slot 25, while the opposite end of the lever is curved downwardly, reversely to the upper arm of the slide 10, and provided with a corresponding downwardly curved slot 26. This slot 26 loosely receives a pin 27 projecting from one end of the door 5 at the top thereof, while the longitudinal slot 25 loosely receives a pin 28 projecting from a lateral ear 29 at the rear edge of the slide 10. When the slide 10 is moved upwardly the pin 28 cotiperates with the longitudinal slot 25 to swing the rear end of the transverse lever upwardly, as indicated by Fig. 2, the curved slot 26 in the forward end of the said lever then cooperating with the pin 27 to swing the door 5 into an open position. It will thus be obvious that when the slide 10 is moved upwardly the two doors 4 and 5 will be simultaneously opened and the bottom 16 tilted at the same time into position for discharging mail from the lower compartment B. As soon, however, as the slide 10 is released, the resiliency of the spring bar 13 will bring it down to its original position and thereby close the doors 5 and 6 as well as return the bottom 16 to its original position. An additional spring 30 is also provided for returning the slide 10 to its original position, the said spring being coiled around a pin 31 upon the slide and one end of the spring engaging a pin 32 upon the casing 1, while the opposite end of the spring engages a pin 33 upon the slide 10, the parts belng so arranged that the spring will be placed under tension when the slide 1;

10 is moved upwardly.

A hand lever 34: is provided for opening the doors of the mail box independently of the collecting mechanism to be hereinafter described, the said lever being pivoted at and provided with a curved arm 36 which extends under a pin or projection 37 on the slide 10. With this construction it will be obvious that by manipulating the hand lever 34: the door operating slide 10 can be readily operated.

Referring to Fig. 5, the numeral 38 designates diagrammatically a vehicle such as is designed to be employed by the postman for collecting mail from the various mail boxes. A collecting chute 39 is mounted upon each side of the vehicle body, the said chutes being normally closed by the sliding covers 40. These covers 40 are formed with side flanges a1 which are provided at one 'and being pivotally connected at the opposite ends thereof, as indicated at 414: to the controlling slides 45. These controlling slides e5 may be substantially U shaped as shown, the said slides being mounted within suitable guide keepers 16 and the inner ends thereof projecting within the interior of the vehicle or wagon 38. When the slides 45 are drawn inwardly, the covers 410 are moved upwardly so as to completely close the mouths of the chutes 39, while when the slides 45 are moved outwardly, as indicated by Fig. 16, the covers 10 are moved away from the mouths of the collecting chutes 39 and are caused to project outwardly.

When the postman desires to collect mail from one of the mail boxes, he will push the slide 45 outwardly so as to uncover the mouth of the collecting chute 39 and cause the cover 40 and end of the slide 45 to project late-rally from the vehicle. He will then drive close to the mail box so that the projecting end of the slide 15 will engage one of the inclined surfaces 15 to the strip 15 and cooperate therewith to move the door operating slide 10 upwardly. This will open the doors 4 and 5 of the mail box and tilt the bottom 16 of the lower compartment B so that any mail previously placed therein will drop into the collecting chute 39. At the same time, the doorof the upper compartment A is opened sothat the postman can drop mail into the upper compartment A without stopping the vehicle and dismounting therefrom. As soon as the movement of the vehicle has carried it beyond the mail box the spring bar 14 will act as has been previously described to return the doors of the mail box to normal position, and the postman will withdraw the slide 45 so as to again move the cover 40 over the mouth of the collecting chute 39.

Pockets of suitable construction are provided at the lower ends of the collecting chutes 39, and the casings 1 of the mail boxes are provided at one end thereof with a door 48 which is adapted to be manually operated by the owner of the mail box when it is desired to obtain access to the interior thereof without swinging the tilting doors 4 and 5.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described, in cluding a casing, a normally closed door for the casing, a reciprocating slide, means actuated by the slide for opening the door, collecting means adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle, and means actuated by the said collecting means for operating the reciprocating slide.

2. A device of the character described, including a casing, a normally closed door for the casing, a reciprocating slide, means actuated by the slide for opening the door, cam means having an operative connection with the slide, collecting means adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle, and trip means upon the collecting means for cooperation with the before mentioned cam means to move the reciprocating slide.

3. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, mechanism upon the casing for opening the door and tilting the bottom, a collecting chute adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle, and means carried by the collecting chute for engagement with the before mentioned door opening and bottom tilting means of the casing to actuate the same.

mounted upon a vehicle, a cover for the colleeting chute, and a slide controlling the cover, the said slide being adapted to engage and actuate the before mentioned door opening and bottom tilting means of the casing when moved into position to open the cover.

5. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, means upon the casing for opening the door and tilting the bottom, a collecting chute adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle, a sliding cover for the collecting chute, and a cover actuating member for moving the cover into an open and closed position, the said cover actuating member being adapted to engage the before mentioned door opening and bottom tilting means upon the casing to actuate the same.

6. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a reciprocating slide, means actuated by the slide for controlling the door, a spring bar having an operative connection with the slide, cam means upon the spring bar, and trip means adapted to cooperate with the cam means to actuate the slide.

7. A device of the character described, in cluding a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, a reciprocating slide, means actuated by the said slide for controlling the door and tilting bottom, a spring bar having an operative connection with the reciprocating slide, cam means upon the spring bar, and trip means adapted to engage the said cam means to actuate the reciprocating slide.

8. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, a reciprocating slide, means actuated by the reciprocating slide for controlling the door and tilting the bottom, a spring bar having one end thereof rigidly connected to the casing while the free end thereof is connected to the reciprocating slide, cam means upon the spring bar, a collecting chute adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle, and means carried by the collecting chute for engagement with the before mentioned cam means of the spring bar to actuate the reciprocating slide.

9. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a pin projecting from the door, a reciprocating slide upon the casing, a slotted arm projecting from the reciprocating slide and receiving the before mentioned pin upon the door so as to cooperate therewith to open and close the door as the slide is recipro cated, a spring bar mounted upon the casing and having a free end which is connected, to the slide, cam means upon the spring bar, and trip means adapted to cooperate with tpe1 cam means to operate the reciprocating s it e.

10. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, pins projecting from the door and tilting bottom, a reciprocating slide upon the casing, a slotted arm projecting from the slide and loosely receiving one of the said pins, a slotted lever actuated by the slide and engaging the other pin, the said slotted arm and slotted lever cooperating with the pins to control the door and tilting bottom, and means for actuating the slide. 7

11. A device of the character described including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, a reciprocating slide mounted upon the casing, pins projecting from the door and tilting bottom, aslotted arm projecting from the slide and engaging one of the pins, a slotted lever actuated by the slide and engaging the other pin, the said slotted arm and slotted lever cooperating with the pins to control the door and tilting bottom, a spring bar applied to the casing and having a free end which is connected to the slide, cam means upon the spring bar, a collecting chute adapted to be applied to a vehicle, and trip means upon the collecting chute for cooperation with the cam means of the spring bar to actuate the slide.

12. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, pins projecting from the door and tilting bottom, a reciprocating slide, a slotted arm projecting from the reciprocating slide and receiving one of the pins, a transverse lever pivoted between its ends and having opposite end portions thereof slotted, one of the slotted ends receiving the other pin, a pin upon the slide which is received within the opposite slotted end of the transverse lever, and means for actuating the reciprocating slide to open the door and tilt the bottom.

13. A device of the character described, including a casing subdivided into two compartments, independent doors for the two compartments, a tilting bottom for one of the compartments, pins projecting from the doors and tilting bottom, a reciprocating slide mounted upon the casing, a pair of slotted arms projecting from the slide and receiving two of the said pins, a slotted lever actuated by the slide and receiving the third pin, and means for operating the slide to open the doors and tilt the bottom.

14. A device of the character described, including a casing subdivided into two compartments, independent doors for the com partments, a tilting bottom for one of the compartments, pins projecting from the doors and tilting bottom, a reciprocating slide mounted upon the casing, a pair of slotted arms projecting laterally from the reciprocating slide and receiving two of the before mentioned pins, a transverse lever pivoted at an intermediate point in its length and having opposite ends thereof slotted, one of the said slotted ends receiving the third before mentioned pin, a pin upon the slide which is received within the opposite slotted end of the transverse lever, and means for actuating the reciprocating slide to open the doors and tilt the bottom.

15. A device of the character described, including a casing subdivided into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, independent tilting doors for the two compartments, a tilting bottom for the lower compartment, pins projecting from the doors and tilting bottom, a vertically reciprocating slide at one end of the casing, downwardly curved slotted arm projecting laterally from the slide and receiving the pin of the tilting bottom, an upwardly curved slotted arm projecting laterally from the slide and loosely receiving the pin of the upper door, a transverse lever pivoted at an intermediate point and having opposite ends thereof slotted, one of the said slotted ends being curved and receiving the pin of the lower tilting door, a pin projecting from the slide and received within the opposite slotted end of the transverse lever, and means for actuating the reciprocating slide to open the two doors and tilt the bot tom.

16. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, pins projecting from the door and tilting bottom, a reciprocating slide mounted upon the casing, a slotted arm projecting from the reciprocating slide and receiving one of the pins, a transverse lever pivoted at an intermediate point and having slotted ends, one of the slotted ends receiving the other pin, a pin projecting from the reciprocating slide and engaging the opposite slotted end of the transverse lever, a spring bar mounted uponthe casing and having a free end which is connected to the reciprocating slide, cam means upon the spring bar, and trip means adapted to cooperate with the cam means to actuate the reciprocating slide to open the door and tilt the bottom.

17. A device of the character described, including a casing, a door for the casing, a tilting bottom for the casing, pins projecting from the door and tilting bottom, a reciprocating slide upon the casing, a slotted arm projecting from the reciprocating slide and receiving one of the said pins, a transverse lever pivoted at an intermediate point and having opposite ends thereof slotted, one of the said slotted ends engaging the other of the said pins, a pin projecting from the reciprocating slide and engaging the other slotted end of the transverse lever, a tuate the reciprocating slide and thereby spring bar mounted upon the casing and open the door and tilt the bottom. 10 having a free end which is connected to the In testimony whereof I afiix my slgnature reclprocatlng slide, czun means upon the nu presence of two witnesses.

spring bar, a, collecting chute adapted to ARTHUR V. GARLSON. be applied to a Vehicle, and trip means car- Witnesses: ried by the collecting chute for engaging ANTHONY MILLER,

. with the cam means of the spring bar to ac- RnFUs KLINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

